FIG. 1 illustrates an example of fall restraint equipment comprising a stairwell 16, a platform 18, and a gangway 10. Stairwell 16 ascends to platform 18, where gangway 10 is connected. An optional cage 20 may be connected to gangway 10 if desired. In this example, the fall restraint equipment provides a user with access to a top 14 of a container 12 (such as a railway car). Gangway 10 may be configured to maintain a fixed orientation, which may be useful when accessing the top of successive containers having the same height.
Alternatively, gangway 10 may be configured to pivot with respect to platform 18 in order to raise and lower the end of the gangway opposite the platform so as to provide access to the top of containers exhibiting varying heights. In the case of a pivoting gangway, various other components may be provided to assist a user in accessing top 14. For example, gangway 10 may include a ramp, a telescoping ramp, or multiple self-adjusting or self-leveling stairs (or other suitable supports) that provide access to top 14 once the gangway has been pivoted to a desired position or orientation.
FIG. 2 illustrates a gangway 22 that may be used as gangway 10 of FIG. 1. Gangway 22 comprises a base tread 23, which includes two posts or “uprights” 34 connected to base tread support 24. Uprights 34 are preferably bolted to base tread support 24 but may be connected by other suitable means, such as by welding. Base tread 23 is conventionally connected to a fixed structure, such as platform 18 (FIG. 1). An underbody 30 is pivotally connected to base tread support 24 at one end and another tread, such as seatainer tread 28, at the other end. The pivotal connection between base tread support 24 and underbody 30 allows the distal end of gangway 22 to rotate with respect to a fixed structure, such as platform 18 (FIG. 1) in this example. To maintain gangway 22 in a desired orientation, a pair of heavy duty adjusting chains 200 is provided. One end of each chain 200 is connected to the distal end of underbody 30 (at which seatainer tread 28 is also connected in this case). The opposite end of each chain 200 may be fed through an aperture 204 in a tab 202 extending laterally from a respective upright 34. Additionally, top portions of uprights 34 are configured in the example illustrated by FIG. 2 to receive portions of a respective one of a pair of handrails 40.
Components of fall restraint equipment, such as gangways, are generally formed by welding smaller pieces of metal together wherever portions of tubular or sheet metal intersect. For instance, a ramp, step, or other support exhibiting the shape of a rectangular prism having front, back, left side, right side, and top surfaces is formed by welding five separate pieces of metal together. In a similar fashion, upright 34 is formed from smaller pieces which are predrilled or otherwise cut in the final shape. The smaller pieces are then welded together and/or to a longer piece of tubular metal to yield upright 34. For instance, smaller, individual pieces are drilled or otherwise cut separately to accommodate for the area that receives a portion of handrail 40 once all the separate pieces are welded together. Tab 202 is formed by drilling or otherwise cutting the tab from a larger piece of metal. Aperture 204 is then created by drilling or otherwise cutting the aperture into tab 202. Tab 202 is then welded to an outer surface of upright 34. Manufacturing components for fall restraint equipment in such a manner is a protracted process and increases the cost of the finished product.
Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent same or analogous features or elements of the invention.